10 Incredibly Creative Ways WWE Stars Got Themselves Over
6. Dusty Rhodes Embraced His Awful Gimmick
When Dusty Rhodes came to the WWF, his career was at a bit of a crossroad.
He was ousted from power in the NWA and had to find someplace to find a living. Considering he took it to Vince McMahon in a way that few others ever had, it’s amazing he got a job at all. Then, instead of being asked to play the insanely popular everyman he had portrayed in the past, he was told to slap on a polka dot speedo and dance. So what creative thing did Dusty do to get over? He embraced it. Fully.
The polka dots should have sunk Dusty from the moment he debuted. Here was an obese man wearing too little clothing and shaking it like a fool. The gimmick was assuredly designed as a rib, but the man ran with it and owned the ridiculousness of it. And you know what? It worked. He didn’t reach the heights he had years earlier as the ultimate babyface - but fans still popped like crazy whenever he came out.
Despite him being under-utilized in the WWF, for many it was still entertaining to watch. Dusty could have flat out said no to the deal and walked away. He could have half-assed it.
But he went out and shook his money-maker and all-in-all had a fairly successful run in the promotion.